Living With Loki
by STRiPESandShades
Summary: Little did Scandinavian Literature student Edda May know that her new roommate 'Larry' was actually the Norse god of lies and mischief, Loki. Hilarity. Ensues. / Pairing/Shipping-Light / Mythology-Based / K For a Few Non-PG Moments and References to Being Pregnant By a Horse
1. January

_Hearing I ask from the holy races  
__From Heimdall's sons both high and low;  
__Thou will, Allfather that well I relate  
__Old tales I remember of men long ago._

_I remember yet the giants of yore,  
Who gave me bread in the days gone by;  
Nine worlds I knew, the Nine in the Tree  
With mighty roots beneath the mold._

- "Voluspo", The Poetic Edda

* * *

JANUARY

"Welcome to Midgard"

A cat, puffy and gray leapt up onto the back of the sofa and hissed spitefully at Edda's new roommate.

"Mjö!" she cried, hands indignantly on her hips, "You'll have to excuse Mjölnir, he's had bad manners since he was a kitten," she apologized.

"Mjölnir?" the roommate asked, tilting his head quizzically.

"Yep, _Mee-yo-lin-neer_," she pronounced slowly, "But we just call him Mjö- _Mee-yo_, most of the time. It's the name of Thor's hammer. Like I said earlier, I'm a bit of a nerd for this stuff, it's even where my nickname comes from."

She scooped up the fluffy mess of cat into her arms and held him aloft to see, "Now this is Larry," she explained, "He's our new friend. You be nice, because utilities don't pay themselves."

Just as he was about to wriggle free, Edda released him to shoot like a bullet out of the room.

"Anyways, let me give you the tour."

The apartment was small, for sure, Loki was positive his bedchambers in Asgard were larger than the whole of the tiny flat. He'd been warned to pack light as Midgardians seemed to have an affinity for tight spaces, but he'd never expected this. Small bedroom, the size of Frigga's closet. Tiny bathroom, barely large enough for its facilities. Frighteningly miniature, seemingly seldom-used kitchen described jokingly as big enough for "one-butt". What she called an "open" living room was disturbingly minuscule, the walls lined with bookshelves stuffed with thick, leather books.

_One year_, he reminded himself, _One blasted, Midgardian year._ Mother and Father had urged him to take advantage of this opportunity, for knowledge and to further understanding of the Nine Realms. After all, he'd spent summers in Alfenheim in his childhood, so why not a little change, experience different cultures? They weren't as primitive as he'd think. Thor and his insipid friends dared him. Oh, he wouldn't last a month, they laughed. But he would prevail. He would show Midgard and their foolish people that they were no match for him.

And it would begin with this woman.

"I'm not sure what your schedule looks like, but I myself won't be home much, I take a lot of classes and I'm sometimes at the libraries or whatever. So don't wait up for me is all," she smiled.

Loki gave a quick half-smile, "My own schedule is yet to be set in stone," he replied and she shrugged. "You sure have a lot of books," he then noted.

"Oh yeah, hah," she laughed, "I'm studying ancient Scandinavian literature, like where Mijö's name comes from, Odin, Thor, Loki, that kind of stuff. There are _so_ many books for the courses, though."

Now _this_ was interesting. He'd heard that the Midgardians did tell tales of the Aesir, and that they were somewhat popular, but to meet one who studied them and for what seemed to be at length?

This woman will have no idea what hit her.

* * *

That was the third time that night he could have sworn he'd heard something.

Slipping easily into invisibility, he mutely made his way into the living room, where he spied Edda, sitting in the darkened room, surrounded by no less than four thick, dusty-looking books, lit only by the glow of her laptop screen.

"Dammit, Loki…" he thought he heard her mutter.

He froze. How could she- a mere mortal- possibly have known?

"Prometheus stole the fire, does he count as a trickster god?" she continued to babble, flipping through the endless pages of the massive books.

"Can't sleep my dear?" Loki asked, shedding the glamour.

Edda jumped, "_Allfather_, you scared me!" she cried, "Wow, sorry, I didn't wake you up, did I?"

He shook his head, "Not at all, but I'm just curious what you're ah-" he waved a hand in the direction of her collected books, "What you're up to."

"Oh, I'm just working on a paper, theorizing on the Norse trickster god Loki. Lots of boring stuff."

"And, ahh, what _are_ your theories?" he asked, perching himself of the arm of the couch.

Edda sighed, "Well, you see, lots of scholars believe that Loki was associated with fire, as lots of the other jötunn were also elemental in nature. However, I'm theorizing here that Loki was a straightforward trickster god who became associated with fire so the Christians could turn him into a figure like Lucifer, making fun and mischief a villainous thing. _Hopefully_, I can grab some support for this theory through the Age of Enlightenment and the rediscovery of Greek art and mythology, because the Greeks lacked a trickster god themselves. I think. Prometheus _might_ count here, which could potentially ruin everything."

"And these are the stories your name comes from, you said?"

"Nickname, but yep, the Eddas," she explained, holding aloft one of the thickest, most worn of the books by her side, "There are two, the Poetic and the Prose."

"Is it… interesting?" he asked hesitantly, taking the offered tome.

"I love it, it's all so- so _amazing_, but it's not for everyone, I guess. It's kind of in a format lots of people aren't used to. But there are all kinds of stories, funny ones, scary ones, ones with lots of action, the huge end-of-the-world stories. You've got guys like Odin, the Allfather, king of the Aesir- the gods- his son Thor, God of Thunder…"

"And Loki?"

"God of Mischief, Pranks, Lying. He's a funny guy, a Jotun that causes about 90% of the trouble for the Aesir and on the off-chance he isn't, he'll fix it anyways."

"Sorry- a _what_?"

"Jotun, one of the Frost Giants. In certain books, he's sworn brother of Odin, in others, he's the adopted son. Complex guy, Loki is. Hence why I'm up at 3 working on this paper on him here."

"Oh."

A _jotun_? Did she really just say that in this odd, Midgardian legend, he was a _Jotun_? Where do these people come up with these things? Absently, he flipped through the book, "The Lay of Hymir", "The Ballad of the High One", what was a "Lokasenna"?

"Do you have a favorite among these?"

"Uhh, yeah, actually. It's kind of everyone's favorite, "Thrymskvitha", where Thor loses his hammer and has to get into drag to get it back."

_He looked surprisingly good in that dress_, Loki mused, remembering it. "I've never heard this one. Will you tell it to me?"

Edda sighed and took a sidelong look at her laptop, "I could use a break. Sure."

She gently moved the books from the seat beside her and moved to make room, carefully accepting the heavy tome he passed her. Licking a fingertip, she flipped through the myriad of thin pages until finally she reached the spot.

"_Wild was Thor when he awoke,  
And when his mighty hammer he missed;  
He shook his beard, his hair was bristling,  
As the son of Earth about him sought._

_Hear now the speech that first he spoke  
'Harken, Loki, and heed my words__...'_"

* * *

**A/N: **Well hello there! This is the first of many (not quite 12, sorry!) chapters, so if you enjoyed it and would like to hear more of these antics, don't forget to Favorite! And if you really, _really_ liked it, reviews really make my life _and_ they make chapters happen faster! True story! Or if you didn't like it, have a bone to pick or just want to say hi, feel free to leave a review for that too!

Also, just a heads-up, this story will be based more in the mythology than the Marvel (hence why it's a crossover).

* * *

**References and Other Things Explained:**

(I saw this in a story called "Variation on a Theme" (Yu-Gi-Oh) and it was infinitely helpful. Feel free to skip this if it gets boring)

"One year, _he reminded himself, _One blasted, Midgardian year._Mother and Father had urged him to take advantage of this opportunity_, _for knowledge and to further understanding of the Nine Realms. After all, he'd spent summers in Alfenheim in his childhood..." _

Talk about the Study Abroad program from Hel! Also, I imagine the Elves put together an awesome summer camp program.

_"__Can't sleep my dear?" Loki asked, shedding the glamour."_

Feel free to imagine this in the sleaziest voice Tom Hiddleston can conjure. _My_ dear indeed.

"_Well, you see, lots of scholars believe that Loki was associated with fire..._"

Yes, lots and lots of people are confused over whether Loki was actually a fire elemental or whether he got confused with a similar-sounding guy named Logi (or whether they're the same person), but a lot of this I made up on the spot. Although, Greek mythology is definitely lacking a 'Trickster' type, so I suppose it _could_ be valid.

_"__Uhh, yeah, actually. It's kind of everyone's favorite, "Thrymskvitha", where Thor loses his hammer and has to get into drag to get it back."__  
_For those of you not in the know, yes, this actually happened. Really. Go read it now, I'll wait.

* * *

**Disclaimer: **I own no stake, not one iota of _Marvel_, including the comics, movies or anything in between. _The Mighty Thor_ belongs to Marvel and Disney.

Quotations are from the Poetic Edda, domain.


	2. February

**LATE GAME EDIT: **I messed up a few things between splicing different editions and different parts together, but it should be all good now! Sorry!

**A/N: **Woo! Another chapter! And check out the timing, coincidence? Feel free to think not!

* * *

FEBRUARY

"Pranks, Traps and Other Demeaning Practical Jokes"

"WAUGH!" Edda screamed.

Dangling from one of the rafters was a long, thin snake, its slender, green body swaying lazily as its dark tongue easily lashed in and out. Loki smirked. He had her now!

"Yes, Animal Control?" she asked her tiny black cell phone as soon as 411 returned with the number, "Hi, I have a snake up here in my loft, little guy might've come from a garden somewhere. I just need to know if he's poisonous or not, he's kinda thin and pretty long, sorta dark green on the top and lighter on the bottom," pause for answer, "Yeah, that's what I thought, but I had to be sure, y'know?" Pause, "Oh no, I'll just take 'im to my favorite hiking spot, garters aren't invasive, right? Ah, good. Thank you for your help! Bye-bye now."

Sensing another opportunity to play on her emotions, Loki emerged from his hiding spot beyond the doorframe, the glamour of invisibility melting away as easily as an expression of concern painted down his face, "Whatever is the matter, my dear?"

Edda shrugged, searching for something to put the snake in, "Oh, nothing much, just a little garter snake. You aren't scared of snakes are you?"

"Not at all, I'm actually rather fond of them."

"My friend used to have a big ball python when I was a kid. I wish we could keep this little guy, he's a cutie," she replied, as she gently tried to coax it into the shoebox she held below.

"We can't?"

"Nah, neither of us are home enough. He'll probably survive better on his own."

However, over the next week, a small garter snake would be the least of her worries.

What would she find next? Boullion cubes and ink sacs in the showerhead? Toothpaste on the toilet seat? Would her pen erupt in a splatter of ink all over her notes or would she find instant coffee bags in the washing machine?

Edda became increasingly paranoid, checking every seat before she sat, her bag in all its pockets- not just the obvious ones- just in case they were full to the brim with peanut butter or something equally unpleasant.

He seemed to follow a code that he wouldn't overtly interrupt her at school, although when flipping through one of the special reserve books on pre-Christian pagan myth, she found a very old, very thin slice of ham she was almost positive was his fault.

All she knew was that if she kept her head down and pretended not to notice, he'd get bored eventually and move on to less obnoxious things.

It was two weeks after Loki turned immature pranks into a full-time career, Edda rolled out of bed, threw a ratty, blue hoodie on over her PJ shirt, not even bothering with the bottoms, shoving her laptop and textbook into a shoulder bag before stomping out to class. Groggily, she tried to put the layers of whoopee cushions under her mattress that farted noisily when she shifted in bed out of her mind, along with the hours of hidden alarm clocks that kept her awake all night. Instead, she blearily attempted to remember what this lecture was about anyways.

Stumbling into class, she threw herself into a desk and flung open her laptop which suddenly exploded into horrifically loud noise and dancing bananas.

"IT'S PEANUT BUTTER JELLY TIME, PEANUT BUTTER JELLY TIME!" the song echoed through the massive lecture hall, causing more than a handful of students to turn around and stare in obvious irritation.

Frantically, Edda reached to cut the sound, but every time she clicked on the icon, the words "DIVERS LOCKED" flashed. Stabbing at the button, she then pounced on top of the speakers over the keyboard, muffling, but not diffusing the sound.

It was the work of seconds for the professor to pause her slideshow and make her way up to the desk where Edda's screaming computer sat.

"Do you have something to share, Miss May?"

"I-I'm sorry, Professor, I don't know what happened, I didn't plan this. I think it might be a virus or something, honest, I didn't make this happen."

"Yes, but seeing as you cannot control it and it is a distraction to the other students, perhaps you can get the notes later. After class."

Humiliated, Edda rose, closing her laptop and slinging the bag over her shoulder, racing out as she desperately tried to ignore the tears stinging her eyes.

* * *

She couldn't bring herself to care.

"Can I get a caramel macchiato and ummm, how about a fudge brownie? It's been a rough day."

The barista smirked wryly, "I know that feeling. And it's only 11."

"You have no idea."

Defeated, Edda trudged over to one of the small tables and plopped into the chair, dragging out her laptop- which thankfully stopped singing- from her bag. Slapping at the keys, a new e-mail message popped up:

From: i kidden mutant enemy productions .com  
Subject: [Job Opportunity]  
Hello Ms. May, my name is Irene Kidden and I represent the research department for the production of the upcoming movie _Cycle of the Rings_.  
We are currently searching for scholars and experts on Norse mythology to assist with writing, effects and casting of this upcoming film.  
You can reach me via reply to this e-mail or at (646) 308 3106  
Thank you,  
Irene Kidden

Edda nearly spilled her coffee. Mutant Enemy Productions? A Ring Cycle movie? It was way too good to be true!

She whipped out her cell, stabbed out the numbers, briefly cursed the long distance New York number and tried to breathe as it rang.

"Hello?"

"_Larry?_"

"Ah, the e-mail. Got you good, didn't I? I was hoping it didn't look too fake, but the torrent for Photoshop doesn't have any-"

Edda snapped the phone shut, hanging up.

She was done. _Done_. This went too far.

Edda stomped up the stairs of their apartment building, shoved the key in the door and flung it open.

Sure enough, Loki was lounging against the open doorframe to the kitchen, smirking as he went on texting someone on his bitty phone.

"Found out why the torrent wasn't working-"

"Get _out_!" she screamed, throwing pillows, empty DVD cases and anything else in reach in his direction, which he dodged easily.

"I did not know you would take a harmless prank so badly," he remarked dryly.

"A 'harmless prank'? Your 'harmless pranks' today alone had me on less than two hours of sleep and humiliated in the middle of my lecture and thrown out of class! And if that wasn't enough, your past two straight weeks of torture put me constantly on edge! And then the one thing- the one thing that would have made everything worthwhile, the chance to work with the legendary director of my dreams, turned out to be little more than another in a line of the horrible things you do that you consider funny! Sure! _That's_ a 'harmless prank'!"

Loki gave a smug smile, "I didn't mean to offend."

"Oh, you didn't, did you? I swear, it's like I'm living with Loki! I'm terrified that one morning I'll wake up and it'll turn out my hair will be all gone!"

This time, Larry smirked a toothy, soundless laugh, and Edda had to fight the urge to wipe it off his face herself. "Ah, but what if you were, my dear?"

"I never should have let you read that damn book," she growled lowly, "What the hell are you talking about?" she demanded.

"Ah, Hel, lovely woman, not much for conversation, I'm afraid."

"Seriously? You must be messed up, the week of pranks was bad enough. Get out of my apartment or I'm calling the cops."

Suddenly, giant beams of light came shining through the room, forming around Larry to become one of the brightest suits of gold-plated armor Edda could imagine seeing, complete with a massive helmet with double horns like a golden antelope.

"Get out," she repeated lowly once she had a handle on her speech, "Go."

Edda squeezed her eyes shut, desperately trying to hold back those tears daring to well up. When she opened them again, he was gone.

* * *

**A/N: **Hey guys! I didn't get many reviews last chapter, but I have high hopes, especially because I pumped this one up with more description, more fun and more dancing bananas!  
If you loved it, hated it, or just want to say hi, feel free to leave me one!

Also, happy Singles Awareness Day!

* * *

**References and Other Things Explained:**

_"Dangling from one of the rafters was a long, thin snake, its slender, green body swaying lazily"_

I'm not sure how widespread the species is, but in New England where this story is set, small Garter snakes are pretty common, nonvenomous friendly snakes. So at least he wasn't trying to kill her.

_"...although when flipping through one of the special reserve books on pre-Christian pagan myth, she found a very old, very thin slice of ham she was almost positive was his fault."_

This was actually a NaNoWriMo dare I took a long time ago and have been waiting to get into something actually published.

_"Edda rolled out of bed, threw a ratty, blue hoodie on over her PJ shirt, not even bothering with the bottoms, shoving her laptop and textbook into a shoulder bag before stomping out to class."_

Alright, college-age readers. Admit it. You've done this. Twice.

_"Mutant Enemy Productions?... It was way too good to be true!"_

Edda _may_ be mouthpiecing a few fangirlish dreams of mine. Also, this has gotten very meta considering who did Avengers.

_"This time, Larry smirked a toothy, soundless laugh, and Edda had to fight the urge to wipe it off his face herself."_

Very pretty on Tom Hiddleston up to the point where he delves into Loki douchiness.


	3. March

**A/N: **Sorry this is a little late you guys! My life has been crazier than you would believe and I'm a bit stuck on May's chapter.

* * *

MARCH

"Apologies and Forgiveness"

She shouldn't have snooped. Honestly, she didn't mean any harm. But there was so much you could learn from a person by their room and hey, what was the harm in one little peek.

At least, it was _going_ to be one little peek until she saw it lying on the twisted comforter on the unmade bed, a small, black, leatherbound book.

_Could this be his_ journal_?_ Edda wondered. _What would a Norse god write? Did he write about me? Would it even be in English? _She mused, turning it over in her hands. _Well, only one way to find out._ She flipped the book open to the first page.

_Day 1  
I can't stand it here, not even a little. The food is disgusting, the people are revolting, this whole place is simply awful. If only honor would allow me to return home._

_Day 2  
Left alone in the middle of Midgard. Boredom is spectacularly tortuous. What the hell kind of name is Edda anyways? The woman is crazy. The cat possibly more so._

_February 14, 2003 - Finally figured out how to write the date here  
Finally it snows here, just like home! The woman said it was supposed to be common around here (as if these measly few inches even count!) but this is the first real snow I've seen yet.  
Speaking of the woman, she came home in some kind of mood today, not entirely sure why. When I asked, she said it was nothing, a little too quickly. Ah, well. That would be her problem, not mine._

_February 20, 2003_

_I have discovered a most amazing invention, this communication, this_ internet_. Even more wondrous is this location that while fine enough on its own sharing most interesting images of animated females, has so much potential in its Anonymity. I shall soon use this potential to my advantage and this internet- this_ Netenheim- _shall be mine!_

_February 25, 2003  
One thing I underestimated about Midgard was how beautiful it could be. Sure, mortals can be dull, their "reality TV" inane, and their food unimpressive, but there has been many a surprise these few months.  
While there was beautiful theater at home, I'd never imagined things like films, movies, where it can play out in front of you without the risk of mishap and you can reverse, rewind and rewatch as many times as you please. Some are even interactive, you pick up a remote with many buttons and can control what happens in the movie._ Halo _is a fantastic film. It would be a miracle to introduce these things to Asgard, but perhaps I can convince my brother to visit sometime, he would enjoy_ Star Wars _, I believe.  
Their music is quite a marvel and completely unlike anything Asgard offers. While the mortals do have similar music to what is played at home- opera as the woman called it- it is very unpopular here. Instead, they like to dance to things with strong rhythm and insubstantial instruments made with from computers (which are a wonder in themselves) and loud, electronic guitars. There are so many different kinds, rock, pop, metal (which has some songs about Asgard, surprisingly enough), electronic, there's so much to choose from! Maybe I should bring some CD's and a 'walkman' back home.  
One thing this woman- Edda, she has a name, I should in all seriousness stop referring to her in any other way- pointed out, looking over the rooftop of her city, New Haven, that if you look over the sea of little lights, each one could be a person, or even two or three. There were hundreds of lights out there, thousands even. That, I said, was fair beautiful. Edda laughed and said that I should see New York._

_Come to think, she's fair beautiful, too._

That did it. Edda closed the small book, wiping any sign of fingerprints from its leather cover with her sleeve, placing it gently back where she found it and pulled out her cell.

Honestly, she wasn't sure if there was an actual phone connected to this number or if the message would be magically beamed down or something. Whatever it did, it was her only form of contact to him.

"_Hey, listen, I need to apologize (if you'll listen) but it's something I want to say in person_ " she typed carefully; an auto-correct mishap would prove disastrous at a time like this.

As soon as the loading bar confirmed the message was sent, there was a knock at the door.

Standing in the doorway was Loki, dripping wet from the sudden squall of rain, looking for all the world a sad, lost puppy.

_Loki,_ Edda repeated to herself, mulling the idea over in her mind, _This is Loki. Like from the books. God of Mischief, lying and extreme kleptomaniac. You can do this. Maybe._

"Come on inside, you," she said gently, before she burst out into some kind of panic.

Loki leaned casually against the arm of the couch, arms crossed coolly. That image alone made her hesitate to say anything at all, but this she couldn't run from.

"I'll be honest, I reacted badly. It was something I never would have expected- never been prepared for. I've read the stories and studied them-" she swallowed, willing her misty eyes dry, "Studied them for years, and I would have never guessed, not once, that any of it was even vaguely real. But none the less, I did react badly, like I said. And for that, I'm sorry."

It was odd. Usually, Edda had no repercussions on handling these sorts of things on a text or e-mail, taking time to spill out her heart and format it correctly. In fact, she couldn't remember the last time she insisted on speaking in person. What made this so different?

He took a step closer and gently placed his hand on her shoulder, "I accept your apology, Edda."

She looked up at him, "That doesn't mean you can go back to your pranks, you know. That has to stop. I need to sleep and I need to focus on my work and being woken up all the time and being constantly on edge is doing no one any good. You may stay here on the condition that you stop messing with me."

Loki smirked, she seemed to have found her strength after all. "Done."

"Oh. Umm, good," she stammered, half-expecting more of a fight. "I have some work to get done, so..."

Edda tucked her laptop under her arm and made her way for her bedroom.

"Wait! Hang on!"

But it was too late. The bucket that was perched on her door fell, covering her in creamy ranch dressing.

"_LOKI!_"

* * *

Loki couldn't believe it worked, for all that the book was poorly written and the rain effect was honestly over-the-top.

_Whatever gets the job done, I suppose_, he mused to himself, stashing the fake journal in the tiny pocket dimension where he kept the real one.

If the woman- if Edda got her hands on _that,_ it would be an interesting day indeed.

* * *

"Queen of Darkness"

"Hi there, can I help you?"

Standing in the doorway was a young woman, with short, pixie-cut dark hair and piercing blue eyes. Somehow, she made a leather jacket and t-shirt look elegant, and somehow it seemed to match the gleaming silver necklace at her throat that was studded up and down with some expensive-looking diamonds.

"Hi, umm, I'm looking for a friend of mine, his name's erm- Larry..?"

Mesmerized by this woman, her dazzling gaze and alluring necklace, silently Edda nodded and tore up the stairs.

"What did you do this time?" she asked flatly, rubbing her eyes.

"What do you mean?" Loki asked, gesturing the TV off.

"Freyja's downstairs, says she's looking for you and knowing _you_, Mr. Trickster God, means you must've done _something_."

Loki sighed, "If I have to find that damn necklace again…" he trailed.

"You mean the one you _stole_?" Edda smirked.

He waved it off as he headed down the stairs, "Complications."

As soon as the door slammed shut behind him, Edda raced over and leaned against it, listening closely to the conversation downstairs. _Honestly, I never used to be this nosy. Living with the God of Mischief has been a_ terrible _influence._

"Well, yes, my time here so far has been on the whole mostly pleasant," Edda heard Loki's muffled voice.

"You do realize you're not getting out of this that easily, right? The Allfather and your mom said you gotta stay here for a year."

"I do recall the terms of our contract, yes. I don't need to be reminded."

"Thor's worried, especially with you living with a mortal."

"Believe me, I'm fine, Midgard is not as boring or primitive as many make it out to be. As for Edda, the mortal woman, her I can deal with. My brother need not worry about me, I can handle myself."

"Does she know?"

"Umm..."

"Loki! How could you be so-" Suddenly, she cut herself off. "We're being spied on," Freyja said.

As soon as Edda heard the pair of them race up the stairs, Edda dove for the couch, throwing the heavy book from the table on her lap with a painful thump just in the nick of time.

The door swung open, Loki scanning the room suspiciously, Freyja peeking over his shoulder. Not looking up from her book, Edda nonchalantly waved.

"You're Edda, right?" the goddess asked, brushing past Loki.

"Oh, yes, sorry," Edda stammered, tossing aside the book and getting up, offering a hand to shake. "I'm Edda, yeah, Edda May."

"I'm Freya."

"I didn't expect the Queen of the Vanir to be a fan of Foo Fighters," Edda nodded to the t-shirt under the goddess' leather jacket.

Her initial shock quickly melted to a knowing smile. "Me and Dave Grohl go way back," Freyja winked.

"Before or after the Nirvana breakup?"

"Before. I like to think Kurt Cobain was infinitely jealous."

Over Freyja's shoulder, Edda could see Loki anxiously waiting by the door. Following her gaze, the Vanir saw it too, and rolled her eyes.

"Seems like the God of Mischief wants to get going. I'll see you around, then."

* * *

"I still feel bad that I'll be in the Bahamas during your birthday" Angie sighed.

Edda smiled, "Aww, Mom, it's okay. Dad's taking me to New York over break, remember?"

"He would have come down with me, but he caught a nasty bug and wasn't feeling alright."

The restaurant was surprisingly busy for a Wednesday, and the dining room looked a bit too full for how overwhelmed the staff was. It was any wonder when they would see a waitress. Nonetheless, it was nice for Edda's mom to come down for a surprise visit, which she rarely did, considering the three-hour drive. Edda suspected someone might be playing at Mohegan that weekend.

"I actually need the ladies' room," Angie announced, getting up, "Can you order for me, honey?"

"The usual?" Edda asked.

Angie nodded, "The usual!"

"You got it."

With a now empty chair across from her, Edda finally had a clear view of the dining room. That is, a clear view of a pair of Norse gods sitting at a table not ten feet away from her.

"_You?_" Edda mouthed silently, glaring Loki down.

"_What are you doing here_?" Loki mouthed.

She nodded to the empty seat across from her. _"Out with Mom_."

Noticing the silent conversation going on, Freyja turned around in her seat and waved. Edda nodded and waved back before returning her death glare to the god of mischief, "_Stop following me_."

"Everything alright, honey?" Mom asked, noticing the angry look on her daughter's face.

"Oh, yeah. Don't look now, but turns out my roommate took his friend out to the same restaurant."

Angie turned to find the roommate in question.

"I said don't look!"

"He's a handsome fella, huh? Kinda looks like Paul Newman."

"The guy from the salad dressing?"

Angie rolled her eyes, "He was an actor long before the dressing. Remember, _The Outsiders_?"

"Oh yeah!"

"It's the eyes," she added, studying Edda's roommate again, "They're very blue."

"_Mom_!"

* * *

Loki was smirking- no, worse than smirking, he was _beaming_ with a Cheshire Cat grin as he obnoxiously slammed the door behind him. Edda rolled her eyes, not even looking up.

"'Very blue', huh?" he asked in possibly the most condescending tone he could muster.

"Oh, shove it, it's not like you know who Paul Newman is either."

"He's on our salad dressing."

Edda glared at him, wishing, for once, that looks could really kill.

* * *

**References and Other Things Explained:**

"_Even more wondrous is this location that while fine enough on its own sharing most interesting images of animated females, has so much potential in its Anonymity. I shall soon use this potential to my advantage and this internet- this_ Netenheim- _shall be mine!"_

If any of you have spent a decent amount of time on the internet, you should know what he discovered-slash-created. Yeah. That.

"_Honestly, I never used to be this nosy. Living with the God of Mischief has been a_ terrible _influence."_

You know it has to be!

_"Thor's worried, especially with you living with a mortal."_

I know, _serious_ Bedchel Test failure here. But they do all have reason to be worried, although probably more for poor Edda's sake!

_"Before or after the Nirvana breakup?"  
__"Before. I like to think Kurt Cobain was infinitely jealous."__  
_

For those of you who don't know, Dave Grohl is the lead singer of the Foo Fighters, an American rock band. Grohl used to be the drummer for Nirvana before Kurt Cobain's death.

"_Edda suspected someone might be playing at Mohegan that weekend._"

Mohegan Sun is a casino in Connecticut (where the story's set). Lots of bands make a stop there on their tours.

_"The guy from the salad dressing?"_  
_Angie rolled her eyes, "He was an actor long before the dressing. Remember, _The Outsiders_?"_  
_"Oh yeah!"_

No joke, this is pretty much how I know Paul Newman.


	4. April

APRIL

"Surprise, Surprise"

Edda actually hadn't seen him for weeks, but that was not exactly a surprise. She was actually more shocked that he'd stuck around for this long without taking off with various friends of the Norse pantheon, not that she was home that much either, with Midterms looming.

The apartment was blissfully quiet for once. She could play her folk metal- which Loki hated for some reason- without headphones in, she could shower in peace without any paranoia or gripes about the bathroom 'smelling like girl' and she didn't have to lock Mijo in her room all the time.

Sure, she missed him. A little. But _ahh_, she could get used to this.

Most of all, she was praying that he would stay away until after this second Friday. The last thing Edda May wanted was for anyone- especially someone as irritating as the Norse God of Mischief- to be making any kind of fuss about that day in particular.

It seemed to be going well, she didn't see him at all the first week of April, then not during the start of the second week, then two days before, then not that Thursday.

But come Friday, Edda awoke to find Loki lounging casually in her chair, one of her paperback fantasy novels in hand.

"Finally you're awake!" he grinned, pulling out a package from his pocket, "Happy Birthday."

Giving an irritated sigh, she took the offered black velvet box.

"You really didn't need to get me anything."

Inside the box was a beaded necklace, each bead a small bit of sugary candy strung together on an elastic string. A candy necklace.

Edda smiled and then laughed. It was the perfect birthday present.

"Freyja told me that all girls- mortal or not- love jewelery," Loki smiled.

"I was really worried you'd gotten me something expensive."

She half-expected him to make some snide remark about how she wasn't really worth it or how that sort of thing was for pretty girls.

Loki only smiled and shook his head, "I know you well enough, Edda May, to know that you would not care for any sort of fussing."

* * *

"Time of the Month"

The next day found Edda with the most legitimately angry expression Loki'd ever seen, pouring out a handful of small pills into the palm of her hand.

"Are you alright?" he asked hesitantly.

She glared ferociously, "I'm fine."

"Are you sure, are you sick, because I heard there's a bug-"

"I said I'm _fine_!" she growled, slamming down the pill bottle.

Loki stared at her, wondering how delicately to put this, "Edda, are you hurt? You smell of blood."

Slowly, it dawned on her. "Oh my gods. You have no idea do you?"

"No idea about what?"

Edda pinched the bridge of her nose, debating whether she _really_ wanted to explain Midgardian anatomy, especially before the ibuprofen kicked in.

"It's just something that happens, alright? It's complicated, but it has to do with when mortal women are childbearing age."

More than slightly weirded out, he shrugged and stalked back to his room in an attempt to feign nonchalance as Edda made her way towards the living room, flopping painfully on the couch.

Look around, she finally realized with a frustrated sigh, her laptop was not where she left it on the coffee table.

Bracing herself, Edda hauled herself back up, muttering "Ow, ow, ow, _ow_."

Scanning the room, the laptop was nowhere to be found.

"Loki, do you have my computer?" she called across the apartment.

"Yeah?"

Edda rolled her eyes, "Well, can I have it back?"

"If you must."

Pulling up Google, the recent searches told of _exactly_ what the God of Mischief was doing with her laptop, the drop-down menu suggesting things like "Are mortal women supposed to bleed a lot?", "How do mortal women not get blood everywhere?" and "Do tampons turn girls on?".

Edda slapped her forward with exasperation. Oh boy.

* * *

"The Bug"

She was curled up in her favorite chair, thick book in lap when suddenly, she heard something.

"Edda… help, please…" a low moan came from Loki's room.

She raced across the flat- just what kind of trouble was the God of Mischief into now?

He was curled up in the corner of his bed, red-nosed and sniffling, surrounded by a mountain of tissues.

Her shoulders drooped with relief. Was that all?

"You've never gotten any of the viruses like the ones around here, have you?"

Mutely, he shook his head.

"Hold still," she ordered, laying the back of her hand over his forehead.

"What are you…?"

"I don't actually have a thermometer, usually I can tell when I'm feverish. You, however, have no idea," she explained, "And yeah, you're pretty hot."

"Thank you, I find myself quite attractive as well," he muttered.

"See? You're feeling better already," Edda smirked. "Now, don't worry, everything's gonna be okay. Lemme see what kind of cold medicine I've got in the cabinet, alright?"

Loki nodded again, before letting off a huge sneeze that she swore rattled the windows a bit.

"Damn!" he heard her cry, slamming the cabinet door shut before appearing in the doorway again, "We're all out, I'll have to go to the store later. I have class now, but I'll be back soon, okay?"

"O-Okay..."

...

She'd like to admit she wasn't worrying during class, but then again, she had no idea how to take care of an Aesir- or possibly Jotun- it was something none of the dusty old books ever mentioned.

Loki cackled. Oh, there was nothing more cheering than this, even better because these people deserved it. They dare challenge his rule over the Nettenheim? Tango Down, kerlings. However, this joy didn't last long as he hacked and wheezed, a sudden reminder of that _blasted_ virus. He only hoped Edda would be back soon.

...

The sun had barely set when she got back from the hours upon hours of classes, but Loki looked absolutely exhausted at that point, she could tell.

"Alright, this'll make you feel better and get you to sleep tonight," Edda explained, pouring a measure of cherry-red liquid.

Loki winced, "It smells ghastly."

"Tastes worse too, but you gotta finish it if you want to get better. It's easier if you do it all in one go, trust me," she added, handing him the tiny plastic cup.

Loki sputtered, draining it, "That was awful."

She nodded sympathetically, "I know, but you'll feel better in the morning."

…

The next morning, Loki felt fantastic- more than fantastic, he felt _ecstatic_, possibly even better than the day before yesterday.

Edda, however, was nowhere to be found.

Ah, well, she was most likely getting a head start on classes or studying in the library or some such. Nothing to dwell on, at least.

That is, until he heard the sneeze, loud and high-pitched. Suddenly, it was followed by another and another, and then by a moaning curse in a language only the two of them would understand.

"Edda?" he called, lightly rapping his knuckles on her door. "Are you alright?"

"Go away," she groaned.

"Are you sick?"

"Yes. Go _away_."

"I didn't get you sick, did I?"

No response.

"Edda...?"

"Doesn't matter, I was bound to catch something eventually. Seriously, leave me _alone_."

Of course, Loki couldn't contain himself, it took him all of five minutes to burst through the door, medicine bottle in hand.

Edda sighed and sat up, squinting at what it was he had.

"Oh no, I can't take this, Loks. See, it's the nighttime stuff, it'll make me fall asleep, which would be bad right now."

"Oh. I- I didn't know…"

"It's okay, this stuff can get confusing. Here," she grabbed a random notebook and old pen from the floor beside her, "What I need are these little pills, they look like this," she said, sketching a small caplet, "There's a pack of them on top of the microwave."

"I think I have something better. That is, if you trust me."

"What are you going to do?" Edda asked warily as he perched himself on the edge of her bed.

"I can help you, the way we get over sicknesses back home."

"Will it work?"

"I don't know, but I'm sure it can't do much harm."

Edda swallowed, weighing the possibilities in her muddled brain. Finally, she nodded.

"Alright, now hold still, try not to move too much," he ordered softly, uncrossing her arms and leaving them at her sides, then holding his hands aloft, hovering inches above her chest.

Slowly, golden tendrils of light began to form in the overturned palm of his hand, collecting into a webbed ball of light. The tendrils began to venture from the tangled mass, embedding themselves in the center of her chest and slowly sliding up to her throat and sinuses.  
As soon as the light touched her, she felt warm and utterly comfortable, like the first warm day of Spring, with bliss running up and down her veins. Her heart raced and her face flushed, it was beautiful but almost too much to take.

Loki wasn't positive of the ramifications of giving a mortal Aesir healing, but it was a minor spell and couldn't do any massive amounts of harm.

Finally, the spell came to an end, the beams of light retracting back to his hand, the golden glow fading from her skin.

"Whoa," Edda breathed. "I didn't know you could do that."

Loki smiled, "One of the many charms and spells I had to learn. Are you feeling sleepy?"

She nodded, "A bit lightheaded, too."

"Try your best to rest then, dearest."

Mutely, she nodded again, before she turned over and shut her eyes.

For all his incompetence, these were the steps he'd remembered from chilly sick days in the Asgardian palace.

He pulled the heavy duvet up to her chin and smoothed a hand over her hair.

Hearing his footsteps recede, she snuggled deeper into her pillow before it dawned on her, as she shot straight up in bed.

Did he just call her _dearest_?

She flopped back to the pillow. She must've misheard.

…

Where the hell did he put the apples?

_I laid out on the Bifrost, wide like a starfish, the chilly rainbows whizzing by. Skittles._

_Then the bridge melted to frigid air, and I fell, fell, fell, to the icy land below._

_Jontunheim- Jotun-time in Jotunheim. Frost Giants want a hug. Awww. Doesn't make me feel any warmer, though. Brr._

_Can't stand the cold._

Dammit, Loki, Indunn needs those apples!

…

When Edda awoke, she swore every blanket in the house was piled on top of her.

* * *

**A/N:** So I know this one is a little later than when I usually update these, but my life has been the very definition of _crazy_ these past couple of weeks, you wouldn't believe me if I told you. Also, I have no idea what the May chapter is, so hang on, kids.

Don't forget to leave a review if you liked this chapter, it really does motivate me and makes sure I'm writing things people like and would want to read!

* * *

**References and Other Things Explained:**

_Edda actually hadn't seen him for weeks, but that was not exactly a surprise._

I know what you're thinking: **_Why, oh why, was he not there to antagonize her for April Fools of all__ days?!_**Well, the other Nine Realms couldn't be left un-harassed, now could they? Oh, what a day it was on Asgard.

_"Time of the Month"_

Because honestly, can you have a story (fanfiction or not) where a guy and a girl live together and this not come up at least the once?

_...and "Do tampons turn girls on?"._

I don't remember the exact thread, but this came up in a 'Stuff Mitt Romney Has Probably Asked' conversation on Reddit around (American) election-time.

_Tango Down, kerlings._

More references to what Loki is doing with his internet adventures! Hoo boy...

_Then the bridge melted to frigid air, and I fell, fell, fell, to the icy land below._

I'm not sure if this was easy enough to catch, but I was implying that she had a bad case of the chills in real life which is why she was dreaming of really cold things.


End file.
